Gear & Gadgets —

Razer announces new low-end gaming keyboard

Razer is a big name in gaming peripherals and accessories, and it's announced both a new gaming keyboard called the Arctosa and a new limited-edition version of its Lycosa gaming keyboard.

I gamed exclusively on a Razer Lycosa for a long time and really liked the keyboard. The new limited-edition version is identical, but trades the non-slip rubberized coating on the original keys for a high-gloss, mirror-like finish. No word yet on how the new finish impacts typing or playing on the aptly named Lycosa Mirror.

Personally, I don't think it's an issue—I've never had a problem with my fingers slipping off any keyboard—but keyboard preferences are extremely personal. Hand the same unit to any three people, and you'll get three different reports on the quality of its tactile response, ease of typing, and how much they like the unit. Razer isn't charging any more for the limited edition Lycosa; it can be purchased with all the other features of the original for $79.99 starting in December. The original Lycosa is still available as well.

The Carlsbad, California, based maker of gaming goodies latest gaming keyboard is called the Arctosa. Like all Razer gaming keyboards, it is named after a spider—the wolf spider, in this particular case. On a scale of WTF-OMGRUN, Wolf spiders are around a " Gah!" and range in size from just 30mm to over an inch in length. As for the Arctosa, Razer has released a few demo shots of the unit, as shown below. If you're thinking: "Gosh, that looks just like a Lycosa," well, you're on the right track, but the lower-cost unit has some of the more notable goodies stripped off.

Arctosa is an entry-level keyboard that is aimed at gamers on a budget or those who simply don't want the often gimmicky features some gaming keyboards feature today. Notably missing from the $49.99 keyboard are backlighting, USB ports, and audio connections. Multimedia keys are featured, and the Arctosa supports macros as well. Hopefully, the relative lack of features on this unit mean that it only requires a single USB power connector; the dual requirement on other Razer keyboards is a touch annoying, though they do offer the same number of ports. To be fair, however, this isn't Razer's fault—the USB2 standard provides an absolutely anemic amount of power. The keyboard will be available starting in November.